Hell hath no Furi
by Zeruel14th
Summary: Medical Mechanica tries their luck in another part of the world, while a young man faces his inward struggles and deal with the ordeals brought upon him by a mysterious, mischievous pink haired girl..chapter 4 up R&R.
1. Travel in Stygian

Hello everyone this is my first story ive created here, constructive critism is appreciated, review if you so desire. All FLCL characters in this fanfic are copyrighted by their respective publishers. Enjoy!

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Reality is boring. Everyone needs to escape. Everyone has to take a break from life and the monotony of it all. The gray shroud that haunts us from time to time need not bear us down. That's why the worlds artists, musicians, writers, poets are spurned to create, to escape the numbing sting of reality. That is why we dream when we sleep. The imaginations of people are stimulated and they can go anywhere, be anyplace, and do almost anything. Your sadness, worries, all the things that cause you pain and grief dissolve and you are left with only you and whatever you dream or will into being. When we return, we are alive again, revitalized in a way like no other. Our mind is always with us and if need be we can escape again, as long as one is able to use their imagination effectively.  
  
Nathaniel's escape was drawn to an abrupt close as his alarm at his bedside began that horrible nagging that caused him to jolt awake each morning. It was a simple rhythmic beep-beep but it was the volume that was the kicker. He swore that this clock could wake the dead if not at least the next door neighbors. He shot upward from his pillows, reaching as fast as he could for the snooze button. He punched it down then shut off the alarm. He opened his eyes slowly as they gradually adjusted to the morning light that shone through the curtains of his room.  
  
He gazed still half asleep at his clock. It read 7 o'clock, the usual time he would wake up to start getting ready for school. He pulled the sheets off of him and sat up, yawning and stretching, his back popping along with his neck. He interlocked his fingers and stretched them outward, making the same popping noise as his neck and back. He then stood and started his way out of his room and towards the kitchen which was downstairs. He wasn't wearing any socks and so noticed just how cold the wooden floors had gotten during the night. It sent a shiver up his spine and so he returned to his room quickly and put on a pair of socks from a pile of recently cleaned laundry that he hadn't bothered to put away yet. He continued on down the creaky wooden flight of steps and immediately into the kitchen.  
  
His mother was already awake and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee drifted into his nose. Actually he didn't enjoy coffee but just the smell seemed enough to awaken him more.  
  
"Good morning," he uttered groggily walking to a cupboard and pulling a box of Frosted Flakes from inside.  
  
"Morning dear," she answered, "How are you?"  
  
He laughed, as if she had to ask, "Tired."  
  
He gathered a spoon, a bowl, and some milk and placed everything on the small round wooden table. He made his bowl of cereal and ate slowly. School started at 8 and he was in no rush to make it on time. He just didn't care enough about school for it to matter what time he arrived. He finished and returned the milk and cereal to their respective places and his bowl to the sink where it would later be put into the dishwasher by his mother.  
  
"Don't be late for school," she spoke as he exited the kitchen. He turned to face her as she added, "The school has warned you about that I believe."  
  
"Yes...I know," he said with an air of indifference. Its wasn't like his mother would punish him, she would always just tell him he was 18 and should take some responsibility and that when he got a job he would have to make it on time or else he wouldn't be keeping one very long. He always decided he would take that initiative when someone decided to hire him.  
  
He returned up the stairs to his room, closing the door and locking it behind him. He changed out of yesterdays clothes. Whatever he put on when he woke up he would usually wear to bed, maybe change into a pair of shorts to sleep in. He replaced his Iced Earth shirt, one of his favorite bands, with a Neon Genesis Evangelion shirt. Evangelion was an anime he was an otaku about, it always captivated his attention and held it, never letting go. The shirt displayed the scene of the second episode were after fighting the angel Sachiel, it self destructed on the Evangelion. It had no effect and it showed the Eva walking slowly from the flames, triumphant. It was a great shot captured and transferred onto this shirt which he bought without hesitation at a local store. He also put on some black shorts he had around and put on his converse sneaks. He looked around his room at the various memorabilia he had on his walls. Most had to do with Evangelion or video games, but a few contained poems or snippets of words he found interesting like one above his bed that was small but read "It's always darkest before the dawn."

Placed on stands near his bed was his small collection of guitars. He had been playing since he was 15. Hopelessly addicted now, not a day went by when he wouldn't pick up one of the guitars and play something. Over the years he had picked up on things through the music he listened to and what few Battle of the Bands shows Lucida hosted. Despite his self taught methods he was knowledgeable and skilled. He currently owned three guitars, a black Tremonti SE made by PRS guitars, a blue Ibanez RG170R, and his pride and joy, a gun-metal grey Jackson SL1 Soloist. The Soloist was played most often of the three but still maintained in all its majestic glory. The only amp he owned at the moment was a 30 watt Marshall. Slowly but surely he was saving money to buy a Peavey 5150 head the likes of which his current amp could never rival. No penny was spared from his horde of cash. He had saved up around 450 dollars and still was 150 bucks short. So patiently he saved, knowing the wait would be well worth it. Staring at his guitars made him itching to play and he would have if not for school. Thinking about school made him sigh as he pulled his messenger bag that held all his school materials from along side his dresser, slinging it on his shoulder.   
  
Returning downstairs, he went into their bathroom and combed his long dark brown hair, parting it down the middle like he always did. His hair got wavy at the ends when it was as long as it was and so he combed it a couple times to make it look as neat as he could. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, thinking to himself, "Another day...all the same, the same old people, same idiots, same everything..."  
  
With all this down he was ready. As he passed the kitchen, he noticed his mom wasn't there, no doubt getting changed to go do her job. Her job was to clean. Whatever she was hired to clean she would clean, stores, even peoples houses. It paid good and provided for their needs.  
  
He walked to the edge of the steps and yelled up, "Mom! I'm leaving for school now!"  
  
A muffled reply came from the vicinity of her room, "Ok, I will see you later!"  
  
He answered, "Alright, bye Mom!"  
  
Her name was Alice but of course he never called her that. Her second profession was an artist. More often than not she was delved into a portrait she was creating, seeming to space out for a time then go back to painting. He passed the kitchen on his way out and checked the clock on the coffee machine. It read 7:48. It took him about 15 minutes to get to school on his bike, so he would be late, but not nearly as late as he usually was. Almost forgetting he swung back into the kitchen and grabbed his CD player off the kitchen table.  
  
He exited the house and took in his surroundings. The town where he lived was named Lucida. It could be likened to the suburbs that bordered no city. No highways ran through it and it was small enough to ride a bike to wherever you needed to go. He went down the stairs leading from the house and grabbed his bike that was along side the steps. A pink Geo tracker sat in the driveway, his mother's means of transportation. It had also helped him to get his license. Still he didn't drive much since he got around just fine without it. He put the headphones on and hopped on the bike and began to pedal down the sidewalk. Riding on the roads here was more annoying than anything. Any pothole that appeared took forever to be filled. Even then it was never filled right just patched. Most of the streets were like this and you could not make it down a single road without being greeted with bumps and rumbles from the dilapidated street. The town had a few wooded areas with trails that cut through them frequently visited by joggers and those using them at shortcuts to get to wherever they were going.

The CD that was in the player was from a band called the Pillows. He picked it up at the same shop that had the Evangelion shirt. His main listening pleasure was heavy metal, power metal, the works. This band though, they were so catchy. He especially liked the song he currently listened to called "Ride on Shooting Star." It wasn't especially difficult to play since he had learned it in a single night just listening to it and playing along. The guitar riffs were always on his mind and he found himself strumming air guitar at times. He didn't understand any of the lyrics besides the first line of the chorus but he loved it none the less. Coming to an intersection Nathaniel stopped momentarily to make sure he wouldn't get run over and continued on.  
  
There wasn't much to do in Lucida. There were some small shopping plazas, some movie theaters, nothing big. The outskirts of the town were mostly rural areas and then hills. Nathaniel was bored out of his skull with this place, this town. Nothing ever changed, not for the better anyways. It was the backwater of the world, the one little corner where nothing happened. The only thing that had caught Nathaniel's attention was the construction of some kind of structure on the town's border.  
  
Being the largest building in town it was not obscured from sight and could be seen from anywhere. What its purpose was he didn't even know. Everyone else he asked had no idea either. It was surrounded by only a few houses because everyday at the same time, 5 o'clock, great jets of stream billowed from underneath it continuing for a few minutes and then stopped. This happened each day at the exact time, not a minute later or less. It was almost like it was burning the earth beneath it and appeared to look like an iron. It made Nathaniel wonder if it was the designer's intent for it to so closely resemble a household appliance. But like everything else in this town it didn't have a purpose, the mammoth structure was build in less than a year and not even mentioned on the news, jetting steam everyday since.  
  
He was a few minutes away from school but tried not to think about it. Instead he thought, "One thing that does give this town life...is fall." Autumn was his favorite time of year. The leaves were just beginning to change color but the days were definitely growing shorter and cooler. Like he thought, it was the one thing that brought glory to Lucida. The vibrant colors the hillsides would turn; the crisp air that held no muggy humidity. For as long as he remembered he loved fall and the reprieve that was provided from the mind numbing days he spent here. "Ride on Shooting Star" ended and he started it over from the beginning, he had to hear it one more time before he got into school.  
  
He rode down the sidewalk occasionally stopping to cross a street, continually humming the music that blasted into his ears. Sometimes he would even try to make up words for the ones he didn't know, imagining what they might be saying. Soon he passed a sign that read "Slow, 15, School Zone" and another that caused Nathaniel a sigh reading, "Lucida High School."  
  
He pedaled into the lot and slowed his bike to a halt. He jumped off it and moved it to the bike railing where a few bikes sat. They were expensive looking, 10 speed, mountain bikes with treads that belonged on cars. His was a simple 5 speed riding bike that had been his mother's ages ago. He wondered what the point was of having something that expensive in a town like this. You could barely enjoy the pleasure of showing it off, no one cared. He placed his trusty 5 speed in the next available spot on the railing. Around him a few students were rushing to make it into the school, despite being already late. He removed his headphones and placed the CD player into his bag and took his time walking to the entrance.  
  
One of the hall Nazis, as he liked to call them, sat at a desk immediately as he entered. There was a line of students in front of him that were late as well. The main office had begun to make announcements over the crackling static of the intercom. They started them at about 8:05 so he figured it was around that time. He was next in line and stepped up to the desk. The lady in front of him was old, her skin wrinkly and hair beginning to gray. She had huge bifocal glasses and was grumpy as ever, then again so was all of the hall Nazis. The school thought it was a good idea to hire miserable old ladies to serve as hall monitors. Why was beyond his understanding, perhaps no one else would work for them?  
  
"Oh, Nathaniel...late as usual I see," she spoke with a suppressed anger in her voice. She wrote his name down with shaking hands among the list of others that were late.  
  
"You bet, when do I ever get to school on time?" He smiled as he said it. Provoking the hall Nazis was fun; they said the funniest things at times.  
  
Unable to keep her cool, she stared at him with as mean a glare as she could muster and said, "Get to homeroom before I get the principle out here to suspend you and we will see if you can get to school on time then!"  
  
He raised both his hands in the air and shook them like he was scared. Immediately he turned away from the desk and started down the hall to his homeroom. "Not much to look forward to as usual..." He thought as he reached the door to his homeroom. Hesitantly he turned the knob to the wooden door to begin yet another torturous day in Lucida High.  
  
...  
  
Lucida High he could imagine was the bane of high schools. It was a few decades old with nothing upgraded or changed since. It wasn't big and only had 35 classrooms all a monochromatic white despite what decorations their respective teachers might fancy them up with. Basic facilities were also in place, a gym, an auditorium, a lunch room. Some sections the janitors wouldn't even clean. An exit that led out from the gym for example was rarely used and so a thick layer of dirt and dust coated every inch of the place. He had walked in once to see if he could get out of the school that way but was immediately enveloped. He wasn't allergic but there was so much dust he coughed and sputtered his way back to a drinking fountain to wash the junk from his mouth. Not that the water was any better. The fountains all tasted like lead or a metal of some kind. The school had computers but it was pointless to use them. Only a handful of them worked properly. Most would cause so much grief that it would makes ones blood boil and want to destroy it with an axe, a baseball bat, or anything else that was handy. Other computers didn't even turn on. If you wanted to use one you had to find one that functioned.  
  
He was currently sitting in his third period class. It was the one class he enjoyed and even looked forward to. It was a psychology class taught by a teacher named Mr. Hammet. He unlike many of the teachers had a sense of humor and knew how to deal with problem makers. He had a way of making everything he taught interesting. The class was currently learning about a subject known as classical conditioning. His attention shifted outside for a moment. Another reason he loved fall was that air conditioners were non-existent in this school. During the summer not a single class was safe from the heat wave. In addition during the winter when the heater was turned on, it may have well have been summer. The room temperature would rise to sweltering heights. So during the fall, neither of them were needed and things were generally more comfortable.  
  
The lesson was confusing, classical conditioning involved Pavlov's experiment with dogs and unconditioned stimulus and unconditioned response plus conditioned stimulus and conditioned response. The students including himself stared blankly at the board absent minded as to the first thing he was talking about.  
  
Mr. Hammet taking note of this shook his head and exclaimed, "Yes its hard at first, you'll get it though, we will continue with this tomorrow, no homework!"  
  
Their faces elated at no longer having to use brain cells. A commotion followed as books were put away and conversations erupted around Nathaniel. He noticed the time and was amazed at how quick the minutes had flown. Standing from his seat he approached Mr. Hammet who was erasing the material from the board.  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Hammet?" He could barely be heard above the ruckus of the students but his teacher turned to face him.  
  
"What can I do for you Nathaniel?"  
  
"Do you mind if I eat here for lunch?" It was the same question he would ask everyday. The answer was always...  
  
"You don't have to ask me everyday, you are welcome to eat here," he proclaimed.  
  
"Thanks, I will be back in a second." The electric drone of the bell resounded through the school. The students cleared the room as others entered, no doubt also hoping to be able to eat lunch away from the chaos of the cafeteria. Nathaniel walked down to the caf as it gradually filled with students. Removing a few dollars from his pocket he walked to a snack machine. He would never eat the school's lunches. There were rumors spreading about the food. Those that ate it got sick...at least the lucky ones. The exaggeration made him laugh but he knew there was a good basis for it and so he never bought school lunch. Only the goodies from the snack machine that he knew weren't made by the school he would get. Nathaniel approached it and slipped in a few dollars. He punched in his choices for a bag of Frito's, a Fruit Punch Snapple, and a small bag of chocolate chip cookies. He gathered them from the bin as they were dispensed along with his few dimes in change and headed back to Mr. Hammets classroom.  
  
Scattered about the room were small groups of students, maybe three or four each. Nathaniel recognized their faces but knew none of them personally. He couldn't blame them for being here. He sure as hell would not and did not eat amongst the mob that ceaselessly crowded the cafeteria. A hundred voices and conversations all blurring into an unintelligible roar that was enough to give him a migraine. Mr. Hammet's room was more of a refuge than a classroom at the moment. Even so, Nathaniel did not sit near anyone. He picked up his bag and deliberately found a place as far away from them as possible. It wasn't that he didn't like them. He just wasn't in the mood to be involved in conversation with one of his peers...ever.  
  
He had just slouched into his chosen seat when Mr. Hammet strolled over and sat next to him. Nathaniel gave him a half-hearted smile and opened his Frito's. As he crunched into them Mr. Hammet spoke.  
  
"Nathaniel, why don't you ever eat with anyone? You must have at least a few friends or acquaintances in this school."  
  
Nathaniel swallowed his mouthful of salty chips and answered, "Actually I don't, I haven't really met anyone here who I would enjoy being friends with."  
  
Mr. Hammet inquired, "Don't you want friends though? It's tough without them. Friends are a valuable thing in ones life."  
  
"It isn't that I don't want friends I just..." He paused unsure of how he felt himself. "I'm just not in a rush to find any, I think I am doing ok on my own." Mr. Hammet nodded deciding not to question him further on the subject. "Well it's your final year of school, what are you going to do when you get out of here? Have any plans?"  
  
His immediate response was, "I plan on getting out of this place as soon as I possibly can.

Besides that though…I am going to be a musician and tour all the time playing shows." A smile spread about his face, beaming with confidence.

"Quite ambitious, you like music then?"  
  
"Like? I love it. I would have lost my mind in a place like this without my music."

"You don't like it here?"

"No...honestly, I hate it here." A small scowl spread across his face. "I hate this town and how nothing ever changes. There is so much more world out there and I would bet my life that just about anyplace is more interesting that here."  
  
Mr. Hammet chuckled, "Your right, there is a lot more world out there. Leaving might be good for you. You need to experience the world, find your place and what you want to do. I guarantee you will feel better then."  
  
Nathaniel's grimace passed and he smiled as best he could. His mentor's words did little to comfort him. It wasn't just that he was bored, he felt empty. He felt the world passing before him and he knew he was missing out on something. Nothing he did ever truly satisfied him. There was more and he wanted to find it.  
  
Mr. Hammet stood from his seat and patted Nathaniel on the back, attempting to reassure his student and returned to his cluttered desk at the front of the class. Nathaniel sat in silent reflection, finishing his lunch.


	2. Where the Decibels Race

Hello everyone, i havent updated this story in so long, but the second chapter is finally done. I know this is starting out slow but i have great plans for it trust me. Read and review please, enjoy!  
  
"_Thirty...twenty nine...twenty eight..._" he mentally counted, staring eagerly at the clock hanging above the chalkboard in his final class of the day. It was the horror of this last hour of school he hated above all else. The class was calculus, which he had steadily grown to despise. His brain felt like it would explode each time the teacher spoke in his dry, emotionless, robotic voice. It was like he made the material as mind-draining as possible. Figures and equations he could find no practical use for in real life was cranked out and scribbled all across the board. He was always told he would need to use math everyday. He was convinced nobody in their right mind would want to use math everyday, especially this kind. The seconds were grinding down, the hand of the clock slowing to a crawl at his anticipation. The muscles in his body were tense, ready to bolt from this heathen calculus class. Still his teacher spoke as if he could get so much more accomplished in the nine seconds remaining. "_Six...five...four...hurry up you piece of bovine scatology._" The electronic ring of the school bell rang like sweetness in his ears. He shot up from his desk having already packed his books and made no effort to wait to see if any homework was assigned.  
  
The halls were already in an uproar as the students flooded from their classes. He squeezed his way through the crowded halls and out into the lot. He smiled as refreshing sunshine bathed his face. There was a soothing effect to the suns rays and just the fact he was outside, in fresh air away from school. He walked over to his bike and pulled it from the metal railing where he had placed it. The spokes whirred as he jumped on it and pedaled down the road away from school. He made a few turns down side roads and bumpy sidewalks towards his home. He was itching to play his Jackson Soloist and he found himself humming a Judas Priest song. It was called Ram it Down and he recalled the melodies and lyrics instantly to mind. He had heard it too many times to count but never got sick if it. He made a few more turns, avoiding potholes and stopping to watch for cars, all the while singing silently to himself.  
  
He came to another small intersection, a one way street only big enough for a car to drive through. Since it was so small he only gave a passing glance up and down the road and pedaled on without stopping. In doing this he failed to note a screaming yellow vespa barreling straight for him. All he heard was its horn as it blared in his eardrums causing him to panic and pedal straight into the curb. He flew over his handlebars and landed flat on his back on the sidewalk, forcing the air from his lungs. The bike crashed on top of him the pedal digging into his chest and the handlebar smacking him in the forehead. Unable to even groan he gasped and wheezed in an effort to get air back into his lungs. He clutched his now throbbing forehead as oxygen returned to him. He was then able to let out a low aching groan of pain. The sound of screeching brakes pierced his ears causing him only more discomfort. He removed the bike off of him and stood searching for what had almost taken him out. At the end of the one way street at the next intersection he saw what he believed to be a moped of some kind. Its yellow exterior sounded like it masked its true power as he listened to the engine. It sounded like it belonged on a Harley, not on the comparatively laughable moped. It had halted and was facing back towards him. More so than the vehicle that caught his attention was the driver.  
  
She wore black jeans which ended in big black, probably steel toed boots. A red hoodie with no sleeves covered a white long sleeved shirt. On her hands she wore brown leather gloves. Her face was obscured due to the big pair of goggles she was wearing. Most noticeable about her though was her pink hair. It wasn't a neon "look at me" kind of pink but was lighter, borderline on a purple color. She appeared slender and athletic and as she lifted her goggles to stare directly at him, he noticed she was extremely cute. Along side her on the bike were two guitar cases, no doubt securely strapped down after seeing how fast she flew by him and the sudden stop she made.  
  
They stared at each other for a few moments before a sinister smile spread about the woman's face. An expression of confusion and worry came about Nathaniel's face as she revved the engine. "_What is she doing?_" He cautiously picked up his bike never taking his eyes off of her. She eagerly gunned the engine again and again as if she was waiting for him to get on his bike. Quickly he jumped on the seat of his bike and pedaled around the nearest corner ahead of him. Behind he heard the roar of the mopeds engine and the squeal of the tires against the pavement. "_Oh ....,_" is all he thought as he turned to see the moped round the corner he just made. Her goggles were again covering her eyes but the evil grin remained.  
  
The road dipped downward so he put it in the highest gear he could and pedaled with all his might. He instantly kicked up speed, rocketing down the sidewalk. Still Nathaniel was no match for the souped up moped and she came pulling up along side him after a few seconds. They both looked at each other and then concentrated on driving again. The woman had to swerve to avoid both parked cars and cars that were coming straight for her since she was driving in oncoming traffic to get near him. Nathaniel was swerving around pedestrians as best he could but lost speed dramatically, clipping his arm on a telephone pole as he dodged people but ignored the pain. He noticed no one else walked on the sidewalk and so he again started to speed up. He could hear numerous horns honking and tires burning rubber.  
  
Turning around Nathaniel noticed the yellow moped driving in the middle of the street again gaining on him. He was quickly running out of sidewalk and so applied the brakes. They were only moderately effective as the back of his bike started tipping upward threatening to launch him into a parked car that was approaching. He released the front brake and he skidded to a halt just before he slammed into the car. He aimed the bike down the next stretch of walkway and bolted. The road was flat and so he lowered the gear to gain as much speed as he could. Behind him the woman came skidded to a halt and squeezed her moped between a telephone pole and a pickup truck onto the sidewalk in pursuit. Nathaniel cursed as he took note in a few seconds she would be riding his ass.

He could only wonder, "_Why? What did I do? She is the one that was speeding, im minding my own business, what is she trying to do??_" With her roaring moped gaining, he steered the bike onto the street, past oncoming traffic for two lanes and their blaring horns. He reached the other end of the avenue without being run over and didn't stop to look if the woman was following him. Sure enough in a few seconds he heard the demon on wheels on his trail. The sound of her voice alarmed him, he could barely hear it above the rushing of the wind and the sound of her engine but she was yelling something to him. Distracted he turned his head to look at her. She was almost along side him and was yelling and pointing her hand forward. It was too late though, Nathaniel got only a second or two to apply his brakes and take the edge of his velocity before he slammed into another parked car. A metallic crunch was followed by his body flying over the car and connecting with a white picket fence. He hit it back first and the fence immediately broke. It was then flattened by his body and his head smacked on something a lot softer than concrete. Dazed and sore he stared up into the sky with its wispy white clouds sailing gently along. His view was abruptly blocked by that girls head, her pinkish hair falling about her face. She revealed a gleeful smile with what almost appeared like a pair of fangs among her ivory white teeth. Her face was without blemish and she stared down at him with her greenish yellow eyes.  
  
A gloved hand presented itself to him. Nathaniel took her hand and sat up slowly as a sudden jolt of pain ran down his back were he had hit the fence. When he was finally on his feet he looked around at where he had landed. He was in someone's yard. He had flown completely across the street which he was glad was small or he would have hit asphalt. Flattened green grass and pieces of the picket fence marked where he had landed. He breathed a sigh thankful for how lucky he truly was. Brushing the dirt and grass of his clothes he also was happy he wasn't .....ing.  
  
Nathaniel was interrupted by an enthusiastic, "Hi!"

His immediate reply was, "What were you trying to do?? Kill me? What kind of a moped is that??"  
  
Rolling her eyes she said, "It's not a moped...it's a vespa, I think its Italian or something, who knows? I wasn't trying to kill you I just wanted to talk!"  
  
Angrily, "There are a lot better ways of getting peoples attention than trying to run them down."  
  
"I know, I just wanted to have some fun."  
  
Surprised at her response he said, "You could have got us both killed, then what? That really doesn't sound like fun to me!"  
  
She yawned and then gave him another joyous smile, "Nah, I knew what I was doing, anyways, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Haruko." She extended her hand again eagerly.  
  
He wanted to say more, wanted to make her feel bad but he couldn't help but feel most of his anger melt away. It was that smile, it was her face. He didn't feel like arguing with her and so he grasped her hand and she shook heartily as he introduced himself, "My name is Nathaniel."  
  
Haruko released her grip on his hand and said, "It's nice to meet you, I'm not actually from around here, just in town on...business you could call it."  
  
Nathaniel still had an air of grimace about him as he started to cross the street, not only from his injuries but because he was afraid to see what the crash had done to his bike. Haruko followed close behind. As he reached the car, he muttered to himself, "Damn...it."  
  
The front tire was bent at a 90 degree angle where it connected and the handlebars were imbedded into the side of the car, a gaping whole where they had busted into the side of it.  
  
He felt his anger growing once again and looked at her who was also examining the damage, "Great...great! I am probably going to have to pay for this as well as having to get my bike fixed, I can't afford this!"  
  
Haruko without taking her eyes off the bike said, "Well...if no one saw, no one has to know it was you." She grasped the bikes handlebars and placed her foot on the car. In one mighty tug she wrenched the bike free giving them a clear view of the whole he had made.  
  
"What do they make cars out of? Plastic?" Haruko ignored him and was being shifty eyed, looking down both ends of the street. Somehow no one had heard that commotion and if they had they didn't bother to investigate. After surveying the area around them, Haruko grabbed Nathaniel's arm, his bike in tow and started towards her vespa parked not far away. Nathaniel confused, resisted some and was surprised at her strength as she still managed to drag him.  
  
As he was tugged along he spoke, "What are we doing exactly?"  
  
Without facing him she said, "We are getting out of here."  
  
Nathaniel jerked his arm free and stopped a few feet away from her vespa. Haruko placed his mangled bike on the back of her vespa near her guitar cases. There would be little room for him to ride with her.  
  
"Whoa, wait. We are just going to get out here, not tell anyone about this?"  
  
Thrumming the vespa's engine she placed her goggles that were on her head over her eyes and yelled above the noise, "Oh I see, so you want to pay for the damages?"  
  
After that comment he decided her argument made sense and so squeezed in behind her on the vespa. As he suspected with his bike and those guitar cases there was little room for him to sit. "Hang on!" she cried as the vespa burned rubber, accelerating forward and almost causing Nathaniel to tumble backwards onto the road. He managed to grab her sides and pulled himself close to her, wrapping his arms tight around her waist. Through her clothes he could smell her, not the scent of perfume but her own unique fragrance. He buried his face in her shoulder, shielding his face from the wind that was severely messing up his hair. He could feel his cheek grow warm, he knew he was blushing. Just being that close to such a cute girl made him anxious.  
  
He kept thinking, "_Is she mad im holding her this tight? I wonder what she thinks of me. I have to get her phone number..."_ Nathaniel glanced up from her shoulder only to direct her to where he lived and otherwise was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hardly noticed when they arrived. Haruko turned off the engine and he hoped off pulling his bike off the back of her vehicle. Sensing her eyes upon him, he slowly turned to face her. Sure enough she was staring at him with a discreet smile.  
  
He returned the smile and spoke with a hint of nervousness in his voice, "You could...hang around if you want, or if you have someplace to be its ok, I wont hold you up."  
  
Her smile grew wider, "Well actually, I don't have anywhere to be, like I said im not even from around here. I got no place to be." With a playful voice she added, "So...maybe I could stay with you for a night or two."  
  
This caught him off guard. They barely even knew each other, they had met less than an hour ago when she had nearly gotten him killed and she wanted to stay in his house. He thought about it for a minute and decided if she really didn't have anyplace else to be, he would sympathize and let her stay. "Well, its fine with me, im sure my mother wouldn't mind."  
  
Haruko let out and ecstatic "Yay!" and immediately was taking her guitar cases off the back of the vespa, along with a couple of bags she had crammed into a compartment where his bike was placed.  
  
"Slow down, let me talk to my mom first." She nodded a response and he about faced and walked to his front door, dropping off his damaged bike by the stairs leading into his home. As he entered the familiar smell of paint fumes assaulted his senses. No matter how many times his mother painted and how many windows were open, he still was overwhelmed by the sheer odor of it. He went into the living room to see his mother in an apron soiled with paint both old and fresh, applying it from a palette to a canvas in front of her. Interrupting her thoughts Nathaniel entered and said, "Hello mother, how was your day?"  
  
Never removing her eyes from the painting she answered, "Pretty good, same old, yours?"  
  
"Good as well and actually..." now for the tricky part, "I have a...friend from school, who would like to know if she can stay the night."  
  
That got her to take her eyes off the canvas, just to stare perplexed at him a moment and then to answer, "Well if she wants to, its alright with me."  
  
Even though she didn't sound too happy about him and a girl spending a night in the same room together he decided to thank her promptly before she changed her mind. "Thank you mother," he said as he walked over and hugged her. She smiled and went back to her masterpiece. Nathaniel went back outside and remembered the bike. Oh well he thought, he would explain it later. Haruko was still standing in anticipation at her vespa. He walked over to her and whispered into her ear, "I told her you were a friend of mine from school so just play along, ok?" She nodded and hugged him tightly and grabbed her guitar cases. Nathaniel grabbed her other small bags and carried them into the house behind her.  
  
Upon entering his room Haruko gasped in awe. Nathaniel wasn't sure what was up as he brushed past her and set her bags by his dresser. He then noticed she was staring at his guitars. "Pretty nice collection you got there..."  
  
He beamed with pride, "Yes I do enjoy music and my guitars a great deal." Interested to see what kind she had he asked, "Mind if I see yours?"  
  
She placed the cases on the floor and opened both of them to reveal a white Gibson Flying V and a red Gibson EB Bass with gold hued strings. He recognized it because of its similarity to their SG model guitars. "I used to have a blue Rickenbaker bass but I let a friend have it," she added. Nathaniel looked at them impressed, since they truly weren't cheap guitars to come by.  
  
"Maybe we will get a chance to play later," he added glad he would finally have the chance to play with a descent musician, so he hoped. Haruko agreed with a smile. She placed them by his own guitars and they both proceeded downstairs. Nathaniel's mother had finished painting yet the fumes still hung fresh in the air. He looked at the painting which wasn't quite finished but he could tell it was a bird, a heron if he was correct, sitting amongst a reedy pond. Supper was being made and so he and Haruko lounged in the living room watching whatever happen to be on the television. They didn't converse but Nathaniel snuck in a stare at her. Her eyes suddenly met his and he looked away blushing. When he mustered up the courage to look back at her she was smile pleasantly which served to calm him.  
  
Supper was prepared and Alice called them in to eat. The selection consisted of cheeseburgers, fries, and mixed vegetables. They sat at the table as Alice placed the food in front of them along with plates and utensils. As she sat, they all began to fill their plates with the food that had been made. Haruko seemed especially fond of the cheeseburgers and took three. For a time they all sat in silence enjoying the meal. Alice was the first to speak, "So what was your name again? We were never properly introduced."  
  
Haruko took a moment to swallow and then extended her hand, "My name is Haruko, Mrs..."  
  
She smiled and said, "Just call me Alice. So you're a friend from school, you live near here?"  
  
Unsure as to what to tell her Haruko stalled some by taking another large bite of her cheeseburg and then continued, "Yes...not far from the school, im not sure if you would know where it is though."  
  
Nathaniel not wanting his mother to question Haruko further interrupted, "Oh by the way, I almost got run over today."  
  
Stunned his mother looked at him, "What?"  
  
"Yeah, some madman almost ran me over as I crossed the street, I managed to avoid them but I hit a telephone pole pretty fast. The bike will need repairing. I believe just the front tire is all." It seemed he had succeeded in drawing attention away from Haruko.  
  
Alice's face had that motherly protective look about it and she said, "I see, im glad your alright, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." As she looked down to eat, Nathaniel shot a glance to Haruko and winked. She too winked and they continued to finish supper with no other conversations.  
  
The rest of the evening was spent in Nathaniel's bedroom as he and Haruko played their guitars. Occasionally they would switch and try out each others as they talked about music. She wasn't familiar with many of the bands he listened to but then he didn't know about a lot of the bands she liked. Still they played songs for each other, neither of them singing but just playing the guitar. Nathaniel was surprised at how skilled she was, nearly as good as him if not better in some aspects. He couldn't solo as well as she could but she couldn't fingertap, a technique he had learned from listening to a lot of Van Halen.  
  
Time sped along and before either of them knew it, it was past midnight and Nathaniel's mother had started complaining about the noise and for them to get to bed since school was tomorrow. Haruko had decided to sleep in the clothes she was wearing. Nathaniel went to the bathroom to change his shirt and brush his teeth. When he returned to his room he let Haruko take his bed. He took some spare sheets and a couple pillows they had and placed them on the floor. The sheets did little to soften the hard wooden floor and he doubted he would get much sleep.  
  
Nathaniel heard a whisper from his bed, "Hey, Nate."  
  
He rolled to face Haruko and replied, "What?"  
  
"Thanks for letting me stay here, it's a big help." With what light filtered in through the shades of his room he could see she was smiling.  
  
He smiled in return, "No problem."  
  
"Do you think I am cute?" She added without warning.  
  
Nathaniel shifted nervously in his blankets and stuttered, "Well...I don't know, I guess. You are interesting I will say that much." In actuality he thought she was beautiful.  
  
Haruko chuckled and relaxed into his bed saying, "Goodnight Nathaniel."  
  
"Night..." he replied wondering to himself why she would ask him that. He rested his head on the soft pillows. Despite being uncomfortable and confused he closed his eyes and let his dreams consume him.


	3. Revealed Reproof

Hello, this is where it starts to pick up, for those of you who wanted some action it tryed my best to deliver it in this chapter, R&R please, and as always enjoy.  
  
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Nathaniel was roused from his sleep by the forceful impact of the red EB Bass directly on his forehead. A scream echoed throughout the house as he flailed on his makeshift bed. The scream was followed by various curses and colorful metaphors. Pressing his fingers against his head he could swear there was already a lump forming where he was hit. Finally, still groaning in agony he sat up. He was greeted by Haruko's wide smile and her hands still clutching the bass like it was a baseball bat. His teeth grinded together as he struggled not to lose his cool and pull the bass from her hands to return the favor.  
  
Her cheery voice only served to make him more angry, "Morning sunshine! Its time for school!" She pranced around him like nothing had happened. He wondered if she even realized how furious he was.  
  
"What...was that about??" He attempted to stand but a pulse of pain erupted in his head and he was forced to sit again.  
  
"Just thought I would wake you up, you slept through your alarm clock." She pointed to the clock by his bed. It read 7:40.  
  
"There was no other way to wake me?? Nudge me, shake me, hell even scream at me? You had to break my skull with that bass?" He forced himself to stand despite the pain that still blossomed through his forehead and gradually to his entire skull.  
  
"Nope, no other way! Now come on, get ready for school." She immediately began to rummage through her few suitcases to pick out what clothes to wear. She pulled out a logo-less black hoodie as well as blue jeans and her brown leather gloves.

Nathaniel looked through his drawers and got out fresh socks and a black Judas Priest shirt. He decided to wear the same black shorts he had worn to bed since they weren't dirty. By then it was 7:45 and he knew there would be no way he could get to school on time.

He entered his bathroom and changed, combed his hair and brushed his teeth. He headed downstairs to find Haruko with his messenger bag with all his school materials as well as her own luggage, including her guitars. She gave him the pack with a smile. Nathaniel was still angry about the bass and there was definitely a huge bump starting to form on his forehead but the pain had lessened. Still he couldn't find it in him to remain spiteful at Haruko.  
  
His mother was also downstairs and was eating breakfast. He yelled in to her, "I'm going to skip breakfast, I'm already late, I will see you when I get home."  
  
She stood and peaked around the corner of the kitchen as he stepped towards the door, "Have a good day, and it was nice to meet you Haruko."  
  
Haruko waved and said, "It was nice to meet you too!" Then with her luggage in tow she headed out to her vespa.

Nathaniel followed and stood by as she packed and strapped her things down. He put his pack in amongst her stuff and hopped on the back of the vehicle. "You are giving me a ride to school, since you totaled my bike. Take your time, I'm going to be late as it is." It had been 7:55 by the time they left so he assumed there was no way he was going to make it. Not that he cared but he hated to be greeted by those "friendly" hall monitors in the morning.  
  
Haruko strapped on her goggles and slid on her gloves. "You want to bet? I will get you there on time. I know where it is." Nathaniel looked at her nervously. Even if there were no stoplights or traffic he doubted she could make it in five minutes.

She hopped on and started the vespa. Gunning the engine a few times she yelled back to him, "Hang on!" Nathaniel locked his arms around her waist as she burned rubber and rocketed away from his home.

The wind generated by their velocity was enough to make tears roll across the sides of his face. She slowed only temporarily for turns and didn't even bother to stop at stop signs. By some miracle each light they happened upon was green and she was able to weave around the slower motorists. Nathaniel closed his eyes and buried his head in her back. Good to her word Haruko arrived before Nathaniel even realized it. He looked up to see she had stopped right by the entrance to his school.  
  
He scrambled off the vespa and retrieved his pack from her things. They stared at each other, and for once Nathaniel noticed Haruko wasn't smiling. Her eyes were fixed upon his and only the small hint of a smirk was on her lips. Nathaniel didn't want her to go, even though she had almost gotten him killed and had used his head for batting practice with that bass. He didn't know what it was that made it impossible for him to remain mad at her. In fact he knew deep down he liked her, a lot. He couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking, feeling the same thing he was. The school bell rung, signaling the students to get to their homerooms. Nathaniel and Haruko couldn't stop staring at each other.  
  
Nathaniel broke the silence, asking nervously, "Haruko, would you meet me at the baseball diamond behind the school when I get out? It would probably be about 3:00 or so."  
  
Haruko nodded and said, "I would be glad to, I shall see you then."  
  
Nathaniel stepped away as she once again gunned the engine and sped off. She looked back to wave at him. He returned the wave and entered the school. The teacher had just started taking attendance as he entered his homeroom. He slouched into his seat and looked at the clock. It read 8:03. He already was missing Haruko and he sighed, realizing it was going to be a long, long day. His hand strayed to his throbbing forehead. The pain had dulled but it was still sensitive and he winched. It was going to be a very long day...

...

"That will be all for today class!" the teacher yelled attempting to be heard as students exited the classroom. Nathaniel took no note of him just as he hadn't taken note of anything the entire day. He just wanted to see Haruko. Pushing through the crowds of people he made his way to the entrance. He couldn't contain his excitement and he found himself jogging just to get there. Sure enough as he rounded the side of the school he saw Haruko, sitting with her arms folded across her knees at one of the bleachers. 

His school only had a few sports, baseball being one and soccer and field hockey the others. The soccer field doubled as the field hockey games which made little sense to him. Like the school, the fields were in sore need of attention. The grass had been left to grow far too long and had to be trimmed. The boundaries and lines had faded to the point that even the refs were confused at times during the games. The only seating was small bleachers set up along the sides of the fields where Haruko was waiting.

Nathaniel walked over waving as he approached. Haruko waved back gleefully and smiled one of her usual cheery grins. He sat beside her and set his pack down. They made little conversation due to the fact Haruko was absorbed by the baseball team which was in the middle of practicing. Noticing her interest Nathaniel asked, "You like baseball?"

She turned swiftly towards him and said, "Hell yeah, I'm only the best player in the entire world." Nathaniel chuckled at her comment. Haruko stood and looked down at him. Her voice was cool and confident, "Watch this...I will be right back."

He watched as she rushed from the bleachers and shouted to the team, "Hey, mind of I try a few swings?" Nathaniel was distracted as a sharp pain ran through his head. This had been going on since his first class. Stabbing sensations would rack his skull for a few moments and then pass. Naturally it was where he had been hit with the instrument that morning but it felt deeper somehow like it was in his brain. Then it would suddenly cease. He didn't know what was going on and it had begun to worry him.

When his head cleared he could see the negative emotions on Haruko's face as the team's pitcher shouted back, "You're just a girl, you can't play!" She then marched up to the home plate and pulled the bat from the batters hands. Stunned, he backed away from the plate and the pink haired female who took up a batting stance like it was second nature.

The pitcher laughed and sneered, "This could be fun, you ready for this?" Haruko remained silent as he prepared up for the throw.

It happened all in a split second as the ball sped with wicked speed towards the catcher. Haruko swung with all her might and the following clap of the ball meeting the wooden bat gave evidence she had connected. It took a moment for everyone to locate the ball which had become a pinprick of white in the sky as it flew out of the field and was lost to sight. Nathaniel stared with awe. He couldn't help but wonder if that was a fluke or if she was that good.

The pitcher shrugged, his ego still at work and he refused to believe she had hit that by anything other than chance. "Lucky shot...." Haruko shifted her feet, preparing for his next throw. This ball followed suit as the last one as Haruko connected, sending it sky high.

Everyone on the team was shocked and looked wide eyed at Haruko. She had a sinister grin on her face and yelled, "Bring it! One more time!"

The pitcher looked angry now and shouted in return, "You won't hit this one, I guarantee it!" He unsuccessfully tried to stare Haruko down before winding up and releasing the ball. As fast as it had reached her bat it rocketed back right into the pitchers face. Nathaniel swore he could hear something break in that guy's face as he flew back like he had been hit by a professional boxer. The rest of his team rushed towards him as he lay holding his cheek where he was hit and spitting out ......

Haruko threw the bat to the ground and started to prance around taunting, "Yeah! I rule the diamond! I rule you all! Haha!" She then returned to the stands where Nathaniel sat. She had a devious smirk on her face and said, "Let's get out of here."

Both of them left the field and headed to where Haruko had parked her vespa. Nathaniel followed along side her, still amazed. He said, "That was awesome, that guy flew! How did you get so good?"

She answered simply, "Lots of practice."

Nathaniel came to a disturbing realization and added, "Wait, did you hit that guy on purpose? You are that good?"

Haruko faced him and only smiled. He knew it was true and mentally reminded himself never to get on her bad side. "He is probably missing a few teeth you know."

She laughed and said, "I know, he was asking to face my wrath though." She gritted her teeth and snarled at Nathaniel. He backed away cautiously and she laughed grabbing his arm, pulling him back beside her as they walked to the vespa. Another pulse of pain caused Nathaniel to grab his head in agony. He stopped and bent over as it pounded over and over in his brain. Haruko just stood there watching, not asking what was wrong. It seemed to him like she knew what was going on. As soon as the pain had started it stopped. He could still feel the strain it had put on him by the throbbing in the middle of his forehead and temples.

Haruko still looked at him with little care about what had just happened and beckoned him to hurry. He followed her to the vespa and got on while she pulled her goggles over her eyes and commented, "We are going to take a little detour today, you know that giant building on the outskirts of the town? We are going to visit it." Nathaniel didn't question her. He had always been curious about that building himself but never had a chance get near it. He figured that a visit might answer some of his questions.

They sped out of the school parking lot and down the many streets towards the edge of the town. The building steadily got larger and larger as they approached. Nathaniel was surprised, having never suspected it to be that big. His head had started to hurt continuously, increasing as they neared their destination. Now he was really worried, he felt like he would pass out and fall off the vespa.

Due to Haruko's lead foot they reached the building in no time. Nathaniel staggered off the vespa and used it to steady himself and his ever increasing migraine. Haruko removed her goggles and stared at its monstrous size. It was surrounded by only a few houses and the only street leading to it was the one they had taken.  
  
Facing away from Nathaniel, she seemed to be talking to no one in particular, "Ahhh, Medical Mechanica, never thought I would be back did you? Thought you still had it in for this planet...well guess what? You got me to deal with again. Atomsk's power will be mine."  
  
Nathaniel was about to ask her what she was talking about but he fell to his knee's in horrible pain. He groaned and grinded is teeth in agony. Everything was starting to go blurry; he was barely able to make out Haruko turning to face his collapsed form. She was still wearing one of her mischievous grins. _"Does she know what is going on?"_ was all he could think before he blacked out completely.

...

Vision finally returned to Nathaniel's eyes. He managed to focus on a blurry image in front of him. It was Haruko with her hands on his head. He couldn't figure out what she was doing. It seemed like she was pulling on his head but each time she tugged it felt like his brain was being forced from his skull. As his eyes finally recovered from his blackout he could see her hands weren't on his head, they were IN his head. With each tug he yelled and screamed.

She mutters, "Come on! Whatever you are, come out!" She places her foot on his chest and uses him for leverage, only adding to the traumatizing experience. "Gotcha!" she says in triumph and gives a last mighty pull. She falls back in surprise as a giant black, steel leg with a fixed sword like point is freed. Yet another giant leg squeezes from Nathaniel's head. Using the sharpened edges the legs stab themselves into the ground and start to pull the rest of its body from his head.

As the machine emerges Nathaniel is thrown back to the ground. He skids a few feet and remains there, stunned. He managed only to look up to see what had exited his head. It was a huge machine with four spider like legs, each articulated for flexibility. They ended in sharpened edges like the blade of a sword. It had tank treads under its frame that hovered above the ground which it could also use for motion. Its metallic body rose upward ending with a round stalk like robotic head with a single glowing red eye. On each of its shoulders were giant missile pods and the barrels of two chain guns were flush with its chest. Its arms ended in hands that were made of a trio of grasping serrated claws.

It turned its attention immediately to Haruko. The barrels of the chain guns whirred to life and hundreds of rounds were sent in her direction. Haruko dove behind her vespa and to Nathaniels surprise the bullets ricocheted off. The guns stopped and Haruko took that moment to grab the red bass guitar she had hit Nathaniel over the head with that morning. She reappeared from behind the vespa holding the bass in a fighting stance.

Nathaniel had found the strength to stand once again and was completely perplexed. Everything had gotten so weird so fast. Haruko's attacker launched two missiles from the pods on its shoulders which screamed towards her. At the precise moment, Haruko swung the bass into their paths. Instead of exploding they deflected off the guitars body and high into the air. They arced back towards the giant structure and exploded against its surface. As the smoke and fire cleared it could be seen no damage was done to it. Haruko swung the bass onto her back and started up the vespa.

Nathaniel was stiff with confusion and fear. He was pulled from his stupor by Haruko screaming, "Get on! Now!!" It took a second for him to register her command but he ran to her and jumped onto the back. The chain guns on the machines chest opened fire on them again. The engine of the small vehicle roared and sped away from the spray of bullets. She made tight circles around the machine attempting to stay out of its line of fire. She then made a mad dash down the road they had used to get there. Two more rockets sped away from the machines shoulders and were in hot pursuit of them. Nathaniel clung for dear life to Haruko as they accelerated. The missiles were still gaining on them as they neared a three way intersection. She put the vespa into a power slide and was heading towards a brick building. Just as she was about to hit it Haruko stomped on the throttle and pulled them out of the slide mere feet from the structure. The missiles behind them were too slow to follow and detonated against the building. The explosion obliterated the entire side of it and showered Nathaniel and Haruko with debris. The ensuing shockwave almost made them lose control but Haruko managed to steady the vespa and continue on.

Turning to look behind them Nathaniel was horrified to see the machine barrel through the three way. Instead of the legs, it was using the tank treads. It plowed through the ruble and churned up the asphalt beneath it. Spotting them it rumbled forward after them. He tapped Haruko on the shoulder and pointed behind them. She spotted their pursuer and took a sharp turn down another street. Despite the machines size, it kept pace with them and rounded the same turn, flattening cars and street lamps. The chain guns fired upon their target but because of the distance their accuracy was decreased. Hearing the rounds flying past their heads Haruko began to weave in and out of traffic using the other cars as cover. The bullets shredded through the vehicles like confetti but still couldn't hit the maneuverable vespa.

Instead of two, four rockets launched from the missile pods and homed in on Haruko and Nathaniel. At the intersection in front of them a tractor trailer was getting ready to cross their path. Haruko pushed the vespa's engine to its limit in an attempt to get the trailer between them and the missiles. The light changed and the massive vehicle slowly began to cross. Nathaniel heard her shout despite all the noise that assaulted his ears, "....! Faster, faster!!" They zoomed in front of the trailer almost colliding with its bumper. The startled driver put on the brakes and came to a stop in the middle of the road. Haruko let off the gas and looked back screaming, "YEAH!" A second later the missiles struck the trailer broadside and engulfed the entire intersection with fire. The windows of nearby buildings were shattered and soon defaced by the raging flames. Everything else was torched.

Suddenly the wreckage of the trailer was hoisted into the air. The clawed hands of the machine lifted it above its head still driving forward. With disturbing ease its serrated claws sliced the flaming truck to pieces and then threw them aside. Anger was evident in Haruko's voice, "You drive!!"

She got off and shoved Nathaniel forward into the drivers seat. He resisted some stuttering, "But...I've never drove anythi..."

"There isn't any time to discuss it, now drive!" Haruko hopped on behind him with her feet on the seat, facing towards the oncoming machine. Finding the throttle, Nathaniel took off down the street. He was surprised not only at its speed but also that Haruko managed to stay on the bike. He was even more startled when she stood up, somehow maintaining balance and swung the bass off her back. She gripped the neck tightly like it was a bat and grimaced at the machine.

"_That is impossible..."_ he thought, _"But then again so it everything else that just happened."_ Another volley of rockets was launched, six, one after the other. Even with Nathaniel swerving around cars, Haruko stood firmly readying the bass. As each missile approached, she swung back and forth, deflecting them. The missiles reduced buildings, sidewalks, and other cars to fiery scrap. Nathaniel wasn't able to warn Haruko as he made a turn onto another street. The tires squealed against the pavement and she was forced to crouch and hang on or else be thrown off. Coming out of the turn she stood and watched the machine round the same corner and flatten everything that got in its way.

Tapping Nathaniel on the shoulder she shouted, "Stop here! I'm not running from this tin can anymore!" He looked at her like she was insane but obeyed. They slowed steadily to a stop and Haruko jumped off. The machine came to a thunderous stop while unfolding its legs from the sides of the treads. It raised itself off the road but made no move to attack them. Likewise Haruko stood with her bass in hand but did not move. "Nathaniel...stay behind the vespa, I will take care of this. I don't want you to be hurt." Even though he lost some of his trust in her, he still felt he could trust her to protect him.

Concerned he said, "Haruko, be careful...I don't want you hurt either." She turned to stare at him with her gorgeous eyes and nodded.


	4. All Guns Blazing

Hello once again, i present Chapter 4, it slows down again towards the end but it may answer some of the stuff that gets confusing, I am working on chapter 5 and i guarantee you will like it, Enjoy!

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Standoff...both Haruko and the monstrosity not far from her remained motionless. Nathaniel took cover behind the vespa and peaked over the seat at the pair of fighters. His fists were clenched tight, anxious as to what the outcome would be. He prayed Haruko could somehow pull it off and beat this machine. Yet thinking back to how easily it had ripped that tractor trailer into metal ribbons made his hope waver. He told himself to keep confident, have faith. After all she had already amazed him by her feats ofsuperhuman abilities.

Haruko moved first. She bolted towards the machine hefting the bass upwards, ready to club it. The chain guns on its chest opened fire forcing her to slow and shield herself against the barrage. Still she kept coming, closing the distance rapidly. Before even the machine seemed to realize it Haruko was upon it, launching herself into the air swinging the bass down with a furious yell. She connected with one of the machines missile pods on its shoulders. The impact of the bass against its armor sounded like it had been run through an amplifier and brutally smashed. Instead of the instrument receiving damage though, it was the missile pod. The openings where the rockets launched collapsed in on each other, clamping them shut and flattening the weapon to the machines shoulder. A fountain of sparks showered Haruko and grinding metal could be heard as it tried to move its arm up to grab her. It came up short due to the damage to had taken. Haruko used her feet to pry the bass from the twisted wreck of its shoulder and simultaneously propel herself away from the machine.

She landed expertly on the pavement surveying the damage with a smile. This only served to enrage the machine and it lashed out towards her. Its sword like legs attempted to impale her while its serrated claws swept back and forth in a scythe like pattern. Haruko ducked under the claws and rolled to avoid its legs, dodging till she ended up behind her opponent. She took this opportunity to swing the guitar at one of the joints it used to move its legs. The amplified smashing sound once again rang loudly yet still it was the machine to take the damage. The bass smashed clean through the joint, severing it from the rest of the leg. Now down to three legs, it began to tilt down at the point were the leg was missing. The tank treads kept it from completely falling on its side but it still limped. It rotated its body to face Haruko struggling to turn the rest of its frame towards her.

The chain guns started to spin signaling its impending attack. Haruko swiftly placed her foot under the severed end of its leg and kicked it upwards. Due to its size she had to drop her bass and use both hands to grab it midair. She then threw the sharpened end towards its guns like a javelin. It pierced the machine directly between the two weapons prying them apart just as they started firing. The gun fire stopped and was followed by a small explosion from the impaled area on its chest. The ammunition it used detonated all at once, ripping a giant hole in its body and destroying the guns. Nathaniel could tell that had obviously damaged something vital as the machine twitched and jerked violently. After a moment it regained some control and raised its claws to the piece of its leg imbedded in its chest. With a painful screeching noise it wrenched its own appendage free causing more sparks and metal to fall.

The machine tossed it aside and attempted to swipe at Haruko with its claws. She easily dodged it and stepped out of its reach making it have to use its remaining legs to limp towards her. Nathaniel could hear metal grinding against metal and the machine shuddered as it tried to move forward but to no avail. No longer able to move it used its only remaining weapon, the missile pod on its other arm. A volley of twenty missiles launched at Haruko. Being at so close a proximity to the robot, she had little options. She lunged forward straight into the rockets shielding herself with the bass. Some of the rockets were diverted but they all hit in the same general area, behind Haruko. A dome of pure flame engulfed the area around Haruko and her opponent. A shockwave ripped through the pavement and collided with the vespa. Nathaniel was thrown away from the vehicle, skidding on his side, causing his arm to drag against the ground. The vespa followed nearly landing on top of him.

As the explosion subsided, Nathaniel gripped his arm in pain. He was .....ing and it felt like all the skin on his arm had worn away. More concerned about Haruko than himself he bolted upright, trying to see through the dust that had been churned up. When it cleared he could see Haruko on the back of the machine. She appeared completely unharmed, even waving to him with a smile. The machine on the other hand was on its last legs. In front of it was a smoking crater. The armor hit by the fire had melted off exposing wires and circuitry. What armor remained was charred black. Despite the blows the machine tried to move. It was no use, the explosion having fused most of its points of mobility. Haruko beaming with glory jumped off the machine. She pranced around to the front of it and said annoyed, "You are still moving? Persist aren't we. Well, I shall put you out of your misery." Bass in hand, she jumped at the machine yelling obnoxiously loud. She aimed at its neck, severing the head from the rest of its body just as she had done to its leg. It fell to the blackened road with a crunch. The single beaming red eye slowly dimmed until it winked out completely. The rest of the mangled robot went limp no longer able to function.

Haruko stood on the smoking carcass of the enemy doing a goofy jig and yelling, "Yeah! Take that you medical mechanica piece of junk!" After she finished gloating she walked back to an astonished Nathaniel. She looked at his .....y arm with concern, "Let me look at it, I'm a nurse!" From a compartment on her vespa she pulled a fancy nurses hat and placed it on her head. She looked strange wearing the hat and her goggles. Smiling she added, "Just joking, you should have it looked at by someone a little more professional than me."

By this time, Nathaniel had so many questions racing through his head, he was speechless. He didn't know what to ask first. Sensing his impending interrogation Haruko said, "Let's go somewhere, we need to talk...and before we are seen around that robot." Nathaniel wondered to himself if anyone had actually witnessed it or not. He didn't see a single person around, maybe they had all been blown up? It was a depressing thought but it seemed like a reasonable explanation. Haruko placed her nurse's hat back into the vespa compartment and waited till Nathaniel was on before she sped away.

They drove at a relaxed pace, having already taxed the engine with Haruko's driving. Driving only a few blocks away from where the battle had taken place Haruko pulled off to a parking spot and said, "How about some caffeine?" She had stopped in front of a coffee shop.

Nathaniel grumbled, "Why not?" He got off, careful not to irritate his wounded arm.

Haruko picked a seat at a table placed outside the store and asked, "Do you need some coffee?" It sounded cheeky and sarcastic.

Nathaniel wasn't in the mood for her antics yet didn't have the energy to battle with her so he answered, "Yes...anything, doesn't matter." Entering the near empty shop he did his best to hide his injured arm as he made his way to the bathroom. It was futile as he noticed the shocked stares of the customers. He got to the bathroom and did his best to scrub the dirt and ..... off. The warm water and soap hurt like hell but he knew it would probably stop him from getting an infection. Even cleaned up the burning rash remained and didn't lessen his pain. He brushed the dust from his shirt and pants and fixed his hair before heading back out to Haruko. Despite looking significantly better he still got startled stares by the customers.

Just as he stepped out the door a convoy of fire trucks, ambulances, and squad cars drove by. It was painful to listen to all of their sirens blaring at once. Haruko was seated with two cups of coffee in her hands. Sitting besides her, she passed him his cup with a smile. The noise by the vehicle had lowered enough so Nathaniel didn't have to raise his voice when he spoke, "I assume they are going to see what all that commotion was. I wonder what they will think of a giant robot just sitting there."

Nathaniel just wanted answers at this point and so he stated, "Haruko, tell me what is going on."

Haruko drank more coffee and placed the cup in front of her taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "Alright, well, first off, I'm not from this planet."

Nathaniel was stunned and yet wasn't. No human could do the things she had done. Opening his mouth to speak he was silenced by Haruko, "Just let me talk..." She continued on, "I come from another planet. I got here by means of that vespa. Im sure you could tell it wasn't a normal vehicle, its armored and has hyper flight which basically just lets me go places real fast. I was on a mission here to follow an alien culture known as Medical Mechanica. They are the ones that built that factory at the edge of town, it's called an Iron Fist."

She paused a moment to let what she had told him to sink in. Continuing she said, "The same types of factories were built on other planets with one purpose, to flatten out all life, the wrinkles of the planet." Nathaniel came to a realization that it was made to look like an iron on purpose. To flatten out all life though? He was skeptical to say the least but let her continue. "They tried this a couple years ago on this same planet in a place called Mabase in Japan. They must really have it in for this world. Anyways the way they move things quickly is through gates called N-O channels. One has opened in your head, that is why the machine came out. It was built by medical mechanica and sent through the N-O channel in your head."

About then Nathaniel found it necessary to interrupt, "But how can something that big fit through something like my..."

Again he was cut off by Haruko, "Size doesn't matter. They could send buildings through your head if they wished. It has something to do with...I don't know, something mathematical, don't ask me to explain it." She hefted her bass onto the table almost taking out her cup of coffee. "This bass and that guitar strapped to the vespa are not normal instruments. They too were built by Medical Mechanica as weapons. This model has tough armor, as you can see there isn't a scratch on it. One of my older ones looked like a Rickenbaker bass and had a machine gun."

Inspecting the surface of the Elitist EB Nathaniel found Haruko's statement true. Besides a thin layer of dirt, it was unblemished. His jaw dropped involuntarily, having trouble stomaching all she was saying. "Wait...this N-O channel in my head. It's closed now, right?"

Hesitant she took a sip of her coffee diverting her eyes from Nathaniel. He stressed again, "Right?"

She sighed and said reluctantly, "Well not really...you know how I hit you in the head with the bass? It's kind of what opened the channel in the first place. So, no I don't believe its closed."

Fearful and confused Nathaniel blurted, "What?? Did you know this would happen? Why would you do it? Tell me!"

Defensively she answered, "Because Medical Mechanica has something I am supposed to get. There is this being...he is called Atomsk. He is very, very powerful. They captured him once, they did it again. I am supposed to retrieve Atomsk whenever he comes through the N-O channel."

"You mean through my head?" He snapped sarcastically, "And when exactly is he going to go through my head?"

Haruko again was reluctant to add, "I don't know...exactly."

Nathaniel stood from his chair finding it impossible to sit anymore. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be. Things don't come out of people's heads. The undeniable truth was it had, and it had happened to him of all people. It was even less comforting to know it could happen again at any time without warning. Haruko watched him pace frantically by his chair, mumbling something she couldn't hear. He stopped for a moment and asked bluntly, "Why? Why me Haruko?"

"Truthfully...I thought you looked different, you looked special. I knew an N-O channel could form through you, I guess it's like another sense, I just knew." She went to take another drink of her coffee only to find it empty.

Nathaniel began to wonder if she cared at all how he felt, or she cared at all. "So what are you going to do once you have this Atomsk? You are going to leave? That's it?"

The answer she gave cut like a knife, "What other reason would I have to stay?"

It had been too good to be true. She really didn't care about him, he had thought as much. She just wanted whoever this guy was and then would take off he doubted without so much as a goodbye. A nauseated feeling developed in his stomach, it was too much. "Just...take me home Haruko."

Suddenly she seemed to notice that his feelings were hurt and attempted to explain or comfort him in some way, "It's not like that it's..."

"Just take me home!! You almost got me killed, you opened this channel in my head, I'm probably going to have things coming out again, and an alien race wants to flatten our planet...I just want to go home right now and sleep and not think about any of this." His outburst startled even Haruko and she silently obliged. They threw away their cups and got on the vespa. In little time Haruko pulled alongside the sidewalk near his house. Sullen and tired, Nathaniel got off and started to walk away.

Haruko yelled after him, "Don't be angry with me, please!"

He turned to stare blankly at her. "You don't care, your using me, I don't matter one bit!" Slowly he walked back towards her, "But you know...I thought you did for a moment. Back when you were fighting that machine. I thought you didn't want me hurt cause you really cared. You just want your Atomsk. I cared about you...I even..." the words had trouble leaving his mouth, "liked you Haruko." The only thought that ran through his head was that it was all in vain.

As he turned away from her he uttered with sadness hinting at his voice, "Goodbye, Haruko." Before he could move though, Haruko reached out and grabbed him by the head. Bodily she pulled his face to hers and their lips met. Nathaniel closed his eyes in bliss. He loved the feel of her velvet soft lips on his.

Gently Haruko let go of him and he back away. His eyes were fixated upon her and wanted to say something but didn't have the chance. Haruko winked at him and pulled her goggles over her head. "Goodnight Nathaniel!" Even after she sped away Nathaniel had trouble returning to his home. It had felt good, he wanted to know why she had done that and yet didn't care. Confident he would end up seeing her again, she did after all need this Atomsk when he came out of his head, he walked into his home.

It felt just as good to be home as it was to receive that kiss. Immediately he took off his shoes and tossed them aside. His mother was in the living room watching the news, ironically about the trail of destruction that machine had left. Greeting him she said, "Hello there, you were certainly gone long, it's almost seven. What were you up to?"

He knew it was late since the sun had already faded to an orange ball that started to fall from the sky. "Sorry about that, I was out with Haruko, we had some coffee." Of course he wouldn't tell her what really happened. He then mentally kicked himself remembering his arm!

As if on cue, his mother grew wide eyed as she noticed the rash that covered most of his arm. "Dear god! How did that happen?"

He nervously shifted his eyes. What kind of excuse could he think up to explain that. Not coming up with anything better he said, "I...kind of fell off of Haruko's vespa...when we took off too fast at a stop sign."

He told her not to worry about it and said he was going to bed. Weary from the days events he headed to his room and collapsed on his bed. Not bothering to change his clothes or cover up he just grabbed a pillow and dozed off within minutes.

Meanwhile Haruko was busy looking for a place to stay. Since the encounter outside his house she couldn't find it in her to ask to stay the night. She started to wonder herself what had come over her. His words struck a cord, he was upset and she knew it. It had beenall her fault. Knowing she lied about getting Atomsk for someone else didn't help either. She felt she had to do something but kissing him? She had trouble admitting she liked it since in fact she was using him. Atomsk was her priority, not the human.

Her thoughts wandered back to Mabase. Why was it she fell for the humans though? Naota had done this to her too. It truly was her soft spot, her weakness. Seeing Nathaniel again would be awkward but she would keep her cool as usual. There was no way she could miss Atomsk this time. His power was as good as hers.

The sky had gone to vibrant orange to an ever darkening blue. She didn't want to sleep out on the streets. Snarling she pulled off the road and searched her pockets. Scrounging up the last of the money had managed to get from beating the crap out of a couple vending machines she had enough for one night at a cheap hotel. "Heh, vending machines," she chuckled out loud. Funny how she felt guilty about Nathaniel and not defacing and stealing. She crammed the money back in her pocket and set out in search of the cheapest hotel in Lucida. _"How dignified..."_ she mused.


End file.
